The invention relates to apparatus for automatically milking animals in a milking compartment wherein a milking robot connects teat cups to the teats of the animal being milked.
With known prior art apparatuses, the controllable robot arm is often suspended so that it pivots about an axis. This has the disadvantage, inter alia, that for obtaining the necessary three-dimensional movements a complex control of the robot arm is required.
An object of the invention is to improve the prior art methodology for the automated attachment of teat cups to the teats of the animal being milked. According to the invention this is achieved by suspending the robot arm from a ball joint. By means of the suspension of the robot arm from the ball joint, its control is relatively simple and yet reliable and accurate.